CSC151 2010S, Class 03: An Introduction to the GIMP

Overview:
* What is GIMP?
* Why GIMP in 151?
* Short Demo.
* Lab + Reflection.

Admin:
* The College asks that every student in this course fill out the RISC survey, available at
  http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/psychology/faculty/dl/risc/
  * It should take about fifteen minutes.  (No, you don't get class time for it.)  
  * If you fill out the intro RISC survey at the start of the semester and the final RISC survey at the end of the semester, you'll get some extra credit in the class (beyond the normal EC).
* EC for attending Gene Gaub's concert, Thursday, 11am, Herrick.
* I'm still expecting to respond to assignment 1 by Friday.
* Three readings for Friday: 
  * The MediaScript Program-Development Environment 
  * Beginning Scheme 
  * How Scheme Evaluates Expressions (version 1)
* Someone had asked about connecting to MathLAN from a Windows laptop.  
  * The instructions were in today's reading.
* Are there any questions on the reading?  No
* Do labs in pairs.

What is GIMP?
* An open-source alternative to Photoshop
  * A program that allows you to build and
    manipulate raster images
* What does "Open Source" mean to you?
  * Free - you don't have to pay for it.
  * If you are sufficiently sophisticated,
    you can change how it works.
  * If you are sufficiently sophisticated, you
    can figure out why it doesn't work the way
    you expect.

Why GIMP in 151?
* The construction of an image is arguably an
  algorithm
* The GIMP is scriptable: You can actually write
  programs to make images
* Evidence (from Grinnell) that making images
  helps make programs clearer
* Evidence (from a large-scale multi-institution
  project) that computing with images increases
  retention and interest.
* The NSF paid us to do so.

Short Demo.

Lab.

Reflection.